Price – $25
Our 2010 Heritage Cuvee Pinot Noir is a lively Pinot with strawberry, cranberry, and pie cherries that continue into spices, herbs, a hint of cedar and a wonderful mineral nuance that brings to mind wet slate. The nose carries into the palate with soft red fruits and grows and transitions into soft sweetness for an approachable, easy drinking wine. The finish is soft and easy on the palate with a touch of elegance that Oregon shows so well in our Pinot Noirs. This wine will pair well with herb crusted salmon, port schnitzel, cranberry cornbread stuffed game hen, or roasted pork loin with a dried cherry wine sauce. If enjoying now, we suggest decanting first, best if cellared 2012 through 2018.

–from http://arborbrookwines.com/

My local grocer has been beefing up their selection of boxed wines recently.  This, along with a temporary stint in my savings, leads me down the path of less complex, but more affordable wines.  Now, you may argue that there are plenty of bottles coming in at quite agressive prices.  However, few would deny the cost effectiveness of a boxed wine for everyday drinking.

Now that I’ve got that rant out of my system, onward to the BoHo!

I found this “Old Vine Zin” to be very fruity and medium to light bodied.  This makes for a perfect aparatif or pasta wine.  It reminded me a bit of the jug wine that my grandfather drank with his, well, with everything.

I’m going to skip the ubiquitous “more from the vintner” on this one and focus on the packaging, which is quite unique.  Fair warning though, cheesy marketing speek ahead.

–from http://www.octavinhomewinebar.com/

Octavin Home Wine Bar’s patent-pending package design prevents oxidation. This unique package design ensures that every glass tastes as fresh and flavorful as the first for up to six weeks. It’s the perfect choice for those interested in just one glass with dinner.

Octavin Home Wine Bar’s innovative design allows us to invest in making great wine, not expensive packaging. By eliminating heavy glass and expensive cork and closures, we reduce the cost of packaging and shipping, and pass on those savings to you. While each Octavin contains the equivalent of four standard bottles of distinctive artisan wine, you often end up paying the price of just three bottles.

So go ahead and break the glass habit – and mother nature just might thank you for it. By choosing Octavin Home Wine Bar over four carbon-inefficient heavy glass bottles, you reduce packaging waste by at least 85% and carbon emissions by 55%.

A nice beef fillet would be a good choice; nothing heavily spiced, but seared rare.  Most non-creamy chicken and fish dishes would also be an interesting endeavor, though be careful not to overpower the lighter meats.  I would pair this with herb baked quail if I had the chance.  Turns out we devoured the bottle long before I could start cooking.

I’ll leave the rest up to the professionals, and indeed, to you the reader.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy this gem among Oregon pinots.

Description

The 2008 Cumberland Reserve is a dark ruby colored effort with aromas of dark cherry and blackberry framed by sweet spice and pie-crust leaping out of the glass. The apparent sweetness from the fruit and spiciness makes this wine extremely appealing now, with the undertones of “sous-bois” or loaminess and liquid mineral appealing to this wine’s run for long-term candidacy as one of Bergstrom’s most ageworthy yet affordable wines year in and year out.

$38 per bottle

Praise

{91} 2008 BERGSTRÖM winery – Bergström “Cumberland Reserve” Pinot Noir
The Bergström Pinot Noirs begin with the 2008 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve which sports an alluring nose of mineral, earth notes, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry. Firm on the palate with layered, spicy fruit packed into its ample (14.1% alcohol) frame, it displays enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years, excellent concentration and balance, and a lengthy finish. It will be at its best from 2012 to 2020.

History

Our family business has its roots in our father’s Swedish heritage and our love of the Pacific Northwest. John Bergström, father of five and founder of Bergström Winery, grew up in a small agricultural and logging village in Northern Sweden. He immigrated by himself to Oregon as a young teenager, eager to follow the American dream of creating a better life than the one he had known as a child. It is here in Oregon that he raised five children and created a very successful medical practice as a surgeon.

This sparkling white has recently found a place in my heart for cheaper sparking wines that don’t leave you mixing.  All too often I resign myself to mimosas when in effect, all I wanted was a light, dry sparkling wine.

This Cava was made by the traditional method of secondary fermentation in bottle and blended using the following Catalan grape varieties: Xarello, Macabeo, and Parellada. 18 months spent on the lees imparts a fresh yeasty aroma to ripe apple flavors; creamy but with balance that transfers well to the palate.

The winery is in the heart of the Penedes, located on a hill overlooking the village of Mont-Marcal. The winery’s origins date back to 1975.  Manuel Sancho purchased the then 18th century convent and converted it into the vineyards that exist today.  He also converted the medieval passageways, creating today’s site for ageing the wines.

This is really a great buy, and while not my favorite Cava, certainly one to remember.  Stay tuned for more info from Mont Marcal.

Denomination of Origon: Cava
Type: Brut
Varieties: 40% Xarel.lo, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada, 10% Chardonnay
Production: 300.000 bottles
Alcohol: 11.5º (%vol)
Total acidity (t.a.): 6.2 g/l
Volatile acidity (v.a.): 0.28 g/l
Total sulphur dioxide: 75 mg/l
Residual sugar: 8 g/l

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Pale yellow, with fine bubbles and a perfect mousse.
Bouquet: Aromas of yeast with a fruity base of ripe apples, banana and pineapple
Palate: Fine presence on the palate, slightly sweet on the attack, balanced, crisp, elegant, with character.

ELABORATION
Each variety is picked and fermented separately. The harvest is done mechanically, the grapes are destemmed, pressed and cooled to 12ºC, selection of the must, clarification by gravity for a fermentation at 14-16ºC for 12 days. Racking after alcoholic fermentation, blending of varietal wines, clarification, tartaric stabilization and final filtering. Second fermentation in the bottle for a minimum of 15 months in the cellar. Disgorging, and addition of expedition liquor to reach the desired level of sugar.

GASTRONOMY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This is an ideal Cava to drink as an aperitif and with cockles, clams, scampi, sardines, octopus, etc, as well as a great variety of fried dishes (prawns and squid) soups and consommés, rich food (pigs trotters), rice dishes, scrambled eggs, fish, pulses, soft cheeses… The fine mousse makes it refreshing and perfect to help the digestion of meals. Recommended serving temperature is between 8 and 10ºC and it should be stored in a vertical position. This cava should be consumed no later than 20 months after its purchase.

Aside from that bit of terroir text, there is actually quite a bit of legitiment chatter out there about Selbach-Oster’s Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese.  Myself I’ve found this wine to be pleasant all on it’s own, and yet hefty enough to stand up to some spicy Thai or Cantonese food.  The nose has a great smokey, ripe fruit aura, leading to a mildly creamy balanced fruit and floral palate.  Clean, mineral finish.

At around $35, I generally reserve this white for those special occasions.  This hasn’t, however, stopped me from drinking this wine at least once a year for the past 7 or so years.

Also of some wine-geek note, starting in 2007 the German wine authorities have changed labeling laws to rename all of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines to just “Mosel.”

Follow the read link for some more detailed info.

The Nobilo icon might not be a bad way to start though; assuming you don’t have lots of extra homework time.

The last time I had the money to splurge on some fine dining, I started with our friend here.  At $16, I was quite surprised at the quality of this wine, with its crispness and tannic bite.  A friend who served me the wine recommended I look for hints of asparagus.  While I generally try not to taste this particular veggie without it being on my plate, I was surprised to find it lurking in the back of this wine’s finish.

The light, lemon-yellow color is accompanied by a spicy, almost gooseberry nose.  The palate is indeed tropical, as the vintner portends, along with subtle hints of anise and chive.  The finish, as mentioned, is well worth the wait, and lingers on the tongue.

This is a great deal, and an amazing little wine.  I’d highly recommend this for those of you looking for some good, mid-priced holiday wines.

Hit up the read link for some info from the Nobilos themselves.

COLOUR

Light straw colour with pale green hues.

NOSE

Strikingly aromatic with tropical pineapple, backed by hints of citrus zest and pink grapefruit.

PALATE

Icon Sauvignon Blanc is a complex wine with excellent structure and weight. Displaying the distinct Marlborough combination of ripe tropical fruit and herbaceousness, it has a smooth sumptuous mouth feel, and a long, lingering finish.

FOOD PAIRING

A fantastic complement to seafood dishes such as freshly prepared oysters, prawn and lemon skewers, or steamed mussels.

VINIFICATION

The Icon series represents the culmination of years of research into specific viticultural techniques, particular attention to vineyard sites and a winemaking strategy focused on fruit structure and balance. Our vineyard sites in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley were selected and monitored throughout the growing season. Several canopy training systems were utilised to produce a complex array of aromas and flavours, with close attention paid to sunlight penetration of the canopy and soil moisture levels in the achievement of optimum ripening.

Upon harvesting, all fruit was crushed and destemmed. A portion of the juice was then given a moderate amount of skin contact to encourage the release of flavour precursors bound in the skin. Each block of wine selected was separately cool fermented for a prolonged period, utilising a variety of yeasts to achieve further complexity of aromas and flavours. Post fermentation, the wine was settled and racked off finings. Then each block of wine was carefully blended together to ensure a final blend of concentrated intensity and fruit-expression. Following cold stabilisation the wine was filtered prior to bottling in August 2009.

I had this on my last vacation, if the sunshine in the picture didn’t tip you off.  I was very impressed, and was once again remind of how my wallet often bowdlerizes my selection of Oregon pinots.  There was lots of spice and ripe fruit on the nose.  This gave in to the stronger earth tones and almost woodland feel of the palate.  Overall the tastes were well balanced with the fruit still noticable on the palate, but a nice level of tanins holding everything together.

I’d love to share some links or more info on this one, but you are left to your own devices for that.  It appears that even my googling skills could not produce a fair amount of info on this one.

That being said, this is certainly an affordable wine, even at around $15.  I’m happy to spend a few extra bucks to get a local wine, when I would have bought something from Italy (Masciarelli Montepulciano) or down south from Napa.  A little birdie told me that the 2007 has grown up a bit, and I’m excited to try it.  Overall this is a great wine for simple meals, or drinking on it’s own.

Hit up the read link for some more info.

68% Merlot

27% Cabernet Sauvignon

3% Cabernet Franc

2% Syrah

Watermill Winery, established in 2005, opened it’s door in the spring of 2007.

The winery is owned by Earl Brown & Sons, Inc, a local family owned business.  The business founded by Earl and Lorraine Brown to grow, pack and ship premium apples.  It has evolved into a third generation, award winning farming entity with a strong commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability while producing premium apples and wine grapes, award winning wine and hard cider. Their sustainable agriculture practices are exemplified through their participation in such organizations as Oregon Live, Salmon Safe, Vinea, and Global Gap.

It is housed with Blue Mountain Cider Company in the historic Umatilla Cannery building. The building was built  in 1944 and later occupied by Watermill Frozen Foods, a business owned and operated by Lorraine Brown’s relative, John and Fran Hendricks.

• Address: 235 E Broadway Ave. Milton-Freewater, OR 97862
• Winemaker – Andrew Brown
• Winery Manager – Nancy (Brown) Kezele
• Wines Produced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Viognier , Praying Mantis Syrah, Estate Midnight Red Blend, and Chances R (Table Red)
• Production :  Includes grapes grown from its Estate Vineyards -Watermill Estate, McClellan Estate and Anna Marie Estate as well as from vineyards in Red Mountain, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Yakima, and Horse Heaven AVA.
• Phone Number: 541-938-5575
• Hours Open to the Public: Monday-Friday 11-4 and by appointment.
• Website: watermillwinery.com and facebook
• Contact Email:   info@watermillwinery.com

For me, this is a special occasion wine.  At around $30, we have reached beyond what my weekly budget allows for a single bottle of wine (much to my chagrin).  However, when I have a reason to splurge, this selection makes me feel like I spend my celebratory money well.

So, when that tenderloin meal occurs, or perhaps when I’m about to dive into a light clam and prosciutto pasta, this is one of my favorite wines to reach for.  Even though it is one of the more popular Oregon offerings, it has graced my table long enough for me to build up a feeling of nostalgia.

So, hit up the read link, and let the vintner try and sell you some wine.  I certainly would try to if I were him.

A return to the style that made Oregon Pinot Noir famous. A fine balance of tannins, fruit and acid foretell incredible ageability and a wine that unfolds in complexity. Clear fruit notes of ripe Bing cherry, raspberry, cranberry and currents are matched by refined loamy earth and spice cabinet characters, filling the mouth with richness.

VINEYARD: 100% Van Duzer Estate

VINIFERA: 100% Pinot Noir: 26% Pommard, 23% Wädensvil, 48% Dijon clones, 3% Mariafeld

ALCOHOL: 12.7%